Reform UK take intention at main Royal occasion as £43,000 ‘self-importance undertaking’ causes outrage

Reform UK has criticised Norfolk County Council’s £43,000 marquee at the Royal Norfolk Show, calling it a ‘vanity project’ — with a cabinet member vowing the costly tent will not return under the new administration

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Nigel Farage’s Reform UK has unveiled its latest austerity measure, targeting the Royal Norfolk Show next. The newly installed county council administration has taken issue with the authority’s marquee at the massive event, after senior members discovered it cost a whopping £43,000 to set up.

The tent has been a staple of the county’s premier agricultural event for many years, serving as a platform to promote services ranging from fostering and adult care to public transport. This year’s tent even boasted a robot guest, with whom visitors could take photos.

At its peak, the tent is believed to have once commanded a staggering price tag of around £150,000. However, Reform now has the marquee in its crosshairs, marking the latest long-standing council tradition it has targeted since axing three political assistant roles in its inaugural act in power.

This move signifies another contentious point in an increasingly tense relationship between Reform and council staff, which saw its most dramatic turn yet with the unexpected resignation of its chief executive, Tom McCabe.

Justine Thomas, a cabinet member for the party, labelled the marquee a “vanity project” that “won’t happen again”.

She stated: “Spending £43,000 on a public information marquee for content freely available elsewhere is just the latest example of wasteful spending by the previous administration.”

The decision has sparked criticism, with one commentator stating: “There are real questions about what the Tories hoped to achieve. It was little more than a vanity project and won’t happen again under Reform UK.

“One thousand visitors would equate to £43 per head, and that’s without the additional staff costs, hardly value for money. The council must improve its communications and engagement with residents, but this is not the way to go.”

During the two-day event, the tent, situated near the show’s historic Grand Ring, welcomed visitors. However, Reform UK has questioned the necessity of such an extravagant setup, suggesting a more modest approach, like their own stand, would be more effective.

The party’s own pitch at the show, where Ms Thomas and Nick Taylor spoke to attendees, reportedly cost significantly less, in the hundreds rather than tens of thousands.

This latest decision is part of a series of cutbacks implemented by Reform UK since taking control of County Hall in May. On their first day, they abolished three political assistant posts, saving £160,000 annually.

More recently, they scrapped an £11,000 annual fund for local road schemes, sparking accusations of “pettiness” from opposition members. However, Reform UK argues that this will allow for better allocation of almost £1m within the highways budget for resurfacing and pothole repairs.

No comment was made by Norfolk County Council.